MILAN – The ITMA textile and garment machinery exhibition will put the spotlight on innovations that promote sustainability for its 17th presentation in Milan, Italy, in 2015. A trendsetting showcase of exciting innovations since 1951, the theme chosen for the 2015 edition is ‘Master the Art of Sustainable Innovation’.
Mr Stephen R Combes, President of CEMATEX, which owns the show, said: “The drive towards sustainability is increasingly integrated with enlightened business practices. The keyword here is ‘sustainability’, and we hope industry members will join us in this responsible mission to promote more eco-friendly solutions and practices for the entire textile and garment value chain.”
ITMA 2015 will continue to be an industry leading platform for the textile and garment community. It is expected to span over 100,000sqm of net exhibit space and attract over 1,400 exhibitors.
Miss Maria Avery, Secretary-General of CEMATEX, said: “In 2011, we introduced several new ideas that have enhanced the participation of all stakeholders. They included the inaugural World Textile Summit and Sustainable Textile Leaders Roundtable Dialogue. These were immensely popular and we intend to continue with them. We hope to further enhance the relevance and look at how we can better support the green theme.”
Among the new initiatives that will be organised in line with the theme are conferences and workshops on sustainable innovations. The exhibition will also have a bigger focus on the waste management and recycling sector. In addition, for the research and education (R&E) sector, more emphasis will be placed on innovations that promote sustainability.
Ms Sylvia Phua, CEO of MP International which is organising ITMA 2015, added: “ITMA has always been a catalyst for industry competitiveness for over 60 years. Besides the mindset change, we believe that innovative technologies hold the key to environmental sustainability.”
MP International will be working closely with CEMATEX and other key associations to ensure the new initiatives are relevant for industry players to allow for maximum benefits for their participation.
For the 2011 ITMA, as well as the recent ITMA Asia + CITME exhibition, MCL Global, publishers of Ecotextile News produced The Green Guide to ITMA, the handy A5 size pocket-size guide to enable visitors to evaluate which textile machinery builders and associated suppliers were offering more sustainable products, is now available online.
As well as analysing raw material, water and chemical usage in the textile industry, the guide looks at the latest environmentally-conscious technology developments across the complete textile and apparel industry supply chain such as preparation & spinning equipment; knitting and hosiery technology; and weaving machinery. CLICK HERE to view the 2011 edition
